Home appliance manufacturers in Europe, represented by APPLiA, have committed to further respond to recyclers’ needs by starting to distinctly mark certain large appliances containing F-Gases and Vacuum Insulation Panels.

Only a couple of months after the launch of the I4R platform – the unique one-stop source platform providing information and guidance on how to handle WEEE – a number of manufacturers have signed two Codes of Conduct for Marking of Appliances for End-of-life Treatment.

This proactive commitment of the home appliance industry will ease the identification at end-of-life of certain types of large appliances to support treatment facilities and recyclers in sorting appliances for collection and for safer and environmentally sound treatment at the end-of-life.

The newly designed markings placed on the back of heat pump tumble dryers, washing machines, washer dryers and dishwashers containing f-gases, as well as refrigerators built with revolutionary vacuum insulation technology will provide key information on critical materials in products. The markings will better enable the visual identification for sorting of certain types of large appliances for proper treatment, forward indications of future needs of recycling technologies and the appropriate safety and security of the recycling plants and workers.

“The two Codes of Conduct have been a key project for the Association and yet another opportunity to bring us closer to our idea of a Circular Society”, the Director General of APPLiA, Paolo Falcioni said. “Our manufacturers strongly believe in a progressive ongoing dialogue with recyclers. The technology is constantly evolving, and we are able to provide them with the right information to handle the equipment correctly”, he noted.

While the Codes of Conduct have just entered into force and APPLiA members are preparing for the implementation of the new markings, the door remains open for other manufacturers to voluntarily adopt the marking approach.

“Any company that places these types of consumer appliances containing f-gases or vacuum insulation panels on the European market is welcome to join and sign at any time”, said Korrina Hegarty, APPLiA’s Environment Policy Director.

APPLiA will keep on following closely the development and provide updates about the implementation process of the marking.

The Code of Conduct for Vacuum Insulation Panels is following the Association's study on the recycling of cooling and freezing appliances containing the new technology.

The study, that was carried out in 2013-2014, assesses how vacuum insulation panels influence recycling processes. The use of these panels has gradually increased since 2010 due to their better insulation performance compared with PU-foam. VIPs can be found in new C&F appliances of energy class A++ and A+++. Currently low quantities of these types of C&F appliances are arriving at recycling plants but the production is increasing and it is expected that this amount will increase in the coming years.